Full Print Edition

Whitehaus still open for now

The Whitehaus, an artist commune and influential underground music venue, has lost its long-term lease but likely will remain at 10 Seaverns Ave. for at least another six months, according to Whitehaus member Sam Potrykus.

Potrykus told the Gazette last fall that it looked like the end of the Whitehaus was near following a police raid due to noise complaints and a change in the landlord’s plans.

The landlord indeed chose not to renew the lease, but the Whitehaus is remaining in place on a month-to-month basis, Potrykus recently told the Gazette. He said the Whitehaus expects to remain “at least another six months.”

While no longer holding concerts, Potrykus said, the Whitehaus remains a venue for quieter events such as poetry readings and punk-rock speakers.

“We’re still hosting community events that won’t jeopardize our relationship with our neighbors,” he said.

The residents, who call themselves the Whitehaus Family, have been active in Jamaica Plain for years and lived at 10 Seaverns for more than six years. The Whitehaus has been a major player in the Boston music scene, holding large concerts in Cambridge and releasing albums on its own record label. Potrykus is among many members who are in bands, and he also publishes the Boston Counter Cultural Compass, a well-known listing of underground shows, from the house.

The 10 Seaverns address remains on the watch list of the JP Problem Properties Committee, a group of residents, police officers and City inspectors that acts as a task force for finding solutions to private properties that allegedly present ongoing quality-of-life issues.